Toronto Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Collect your motorhome from the Cruise Canada depot on Highway 50 near Bolton, north-west of Toronto, allowing about an hour for paperwork and a walkthrough, and stock up on groceries before you leave. Drive about 3.5 hours east on Highway 401 to Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County, avoiding Toronto's weekday afternoon peak. Book two nights at the park through Ontario Parks.

Day 2: Spend the morning on the beaches and sand dunes at Sandbanks, swimming in Lake Ontario in summer. In the afternoon, visit the wineries and cideries around Wellington and Hillier or browse the shops in Picton, then drive up to Lake on the Mountain for views over the bay below. Restock in Picton before you leave the County tomorrow.

Day 3: Cross on the free Glenora ferry, about 15 minutes on the water, and continue to Kingston, about 1.25 hours in all. Tour Fort Henry, a 19th-century British fort above the harbour, and walk the limestone streets of the old town. Late in the day, follow the scenic Thousand Islands Parkway east and book two nights at a campground near Gananoque or Ivy Lea.

Day 4: Leave the van at camp and take a boat cruise from Gananoque or Rockport among the Thousand Islands, where cottages and castles sit on granite outcrops in the St Lawrence River. Cruises that stop at Boldt Castle land on the US side, so you need your passport and US entry approval. In the afternoon, walk the trails at Thousand Islands National Park's Mallorytown Landing.

Day 5: Drive about two hours to Ottawa, Canada's capital, and book two nights at a campground on the edge of the city, as parking a motorhome downtown is difficult. Catch a bus or the O-Train into the centre and walk along the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where a flight of locks steps down to the Ottawa River beside Parliament Hill.

Day 6: Spend the day on foot or by bike. Tour Parliament Hill, browse the ByWard Market and visit the National Gallery of Canada, or cross the Ottawa River to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. On summer mornings, watch the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill, then fill the tank ready for tomorrow's drive into Quebec.

Day 7: Drive about 2.5 hours east into Quebec, where road signs are in French, and book two nights at an RV park on the outskirts of Montreal with a bus or metro link into the city. Leave the van at camp and spend the afternoon in Old Montreal, among cobbled lanes, the Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port.

Day 8: Walk or ride up Mount Royal for the view over the city from the Kondiaronk Belvedere, then explore the cafes of the Plateau and the stalls of the Jean-Talon Market, and try a Montreal bagel and a smoked meat sandwich. If you would rather end your trip here, Cruise Canada has a Montreal depot, so check one-way availability for a shorter hire.

Day 9: Follow Autoroute 40 along the north shore of the St Lawrence, about 3.5 hours with a stop in Trois-Rivières. Book two nights at a campground near Quebec City and take a bus or taxi into the old city, as its steep, narrow streets do not suit a motorhome. Walk the ramparts of Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at sunset.

Day 10: Explore Lower Town around Place Royale and Rue du Petit-Champlain, ride the funicular up to the Château Frontenac and stroll the Dufferin Terrace above the river. In the afternoon, drive about 20 minutes to Montmorency Falls, which drop about 83 metres, higher than Niagara Falls. Do a big grocery shop tonight before heading east along the river.

Day 11: Cross to the south shore and follow Autoroute 20 east, about three hours to Rivière-du-Loup. Detour along Route 132 through Kamouraska, a riverside village of old wooden houses known for its sunsets over the St Lawrence, and stop at a smokehouse or bakery for lunch. Stay at a campground in Rivière-du-Loup.

Day 12: Drive about 1.25 hours to Parc national du Bic, a SEPAQ park of coves, headlands and salt marshes where seals haul out on the rocks at low tide. Walk or cycle the coastal paths, hike up Pic Champlain for the sunset, and stay at the park's campground, booked ahead through SEPAQ.

Day 13: Follow Route 132 beside the widening St Lawrence, about three hours to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, stopping at the Reford Gardens (Jardins de Métis) in Grand-Métis on the way. Stay at a campground in town, with the Chic-Choc Mountains of Parc national de la Gaspésie rising inland, and try the local seafood.

Day 14: Allow about 3.5 hours around the tip of the peninsula, where the road climbs and drops steeply between fishing villages, so take the hills slowly. Arrive at Forillon National Park, where forested cliffs drop into the Gulf of St Lawrence, and stay at one of its Parks Canada campgrounds, booked ahead in summer.

Day 15: Walk the trail to Cap Gaspé, the land's end of the peninsula, watching the water for seals and, in summer, whales. Later, drive about 1.5 hours to Percé and book two nights at a campground with views of Percé Rock, a huge limestone arch rising out of the sea.

Day 16: Take a boat from Percé around the rock to Bonaventure Island, a SEPAQ park home to a vast northern gannet colony, with boats usually running from about June to mid-October. Walk the island trails to the cliff-top colony, then return to the mainland to watch the rock change colour at sunset.

Day 17: Follow Route 132 along Chaleur Bay, about three hours to Carleton-sur-Mer, a seaside town with a long sandy spit and a backdrop of hills. Walk the beach at sunset and stay at a campground by the bay. Fill up with fuel and groceries tonight, as tomorrow is a long driving day.

Day 18: Stop at Parc national de Miguasha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its fossil fish, then cross into New Brunswick at Campbellton, where clocks go forward an hour to Atlantic time. Drive about four hours in total down the Acadian coast to Kouchibouguac National Park, walk the boardwalk over the dunes to Kellys Beach, and stay at the park's campground.

Day 19: Drive about two hours to the Hopewell Rocks, timing your visit for low tide so you can walk the ocean floor among the flowerpot-shaped rocks, as the Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world. Continue about 45 minutes to Fundy National Park and stay at a campground near the fishing village of Alma.

Day 20: Allow about 4.5 hours into Nova Scotia to Upper Sackville, on the edge of Halifax, and stay at the Halifax West KOA, where Cruise Canada's Halifax depot is based. If you arrive early, drive about 30 minutes into Halifax for the waterfront boardwalk, the Citadel and seafood by the harbour.

Day 21: Empty the tanks, refuel and return the motorhome to the depot, which is closed on Sundays and from mid-November to mid-April. With a later flight, add a night to visit Peggys Cove and Lunenburg. One-way hires from Toronto to Halifax are not always available and can add a one-way fee, so check one-way availability before you book.

Day 1: Collect your motorhome from the Cruise Canada depot near Bolton and drive about two hours to Niagara Falls on Highway 427 and the QEW, leaving after the morning peak. Book two nights at a campground in Niagara Falls with a shuttle or WEGO bus stop nearby, as Niagara Parks lots do not allow overnight parking. See the falls lit up in colour after dark.

Day 2: Leave the van at camp and ride the WEGO bus to Table Rock Centre. Take a Niagara City Cruises boat into the spray at the foot of the Horseshoe Falls, then walk the tunnels of Journey Behind the Falls. In the afternoon, ride the Whirlpool Aero Car or follow the White Water Walk beside the Niagara River rapids.

Day 3: Drive about 30 minutes north along the Niagara Parkway, past orchards and fruit stands, to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Wander the heritage main street, see a Shaw Festival play in season, and visit a few of the region's wineries, known for their icewine, with a designated driver or on a winery tour. Return to your campground for a second night.

Day 4: Drive about 2.25 hours north-west, around Hamilton, to Elora, a stone village on the edge of the Grand River's limestone gorge. Walk the gorge trails, go tubing on the river in summer, and stay at the Elora Gorge Conservation Area campground. Do a big grocery shop in nearby Fergus, as stores are fewer on the Bruce Peninsula.

Day 5: Allow about 3.5 hours to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and book two nights at the Cyprus Lake campground in Bruce Peninsula National Park, which opens for reservations in early February and fills fast. Wander the harbour at Tobermory in the evening and watch the sunset over Georgian Bay from the lighthouse at Big Tub Harbour.

Day 6: Hike from your campsite to the Grotto, a sea cave with clear turquoise water, as day visitors need a timed Parks Canada parking reservation from May to October. In the afternoon, take a glass-bottom boat from Tobermory past shipwrecks to Flowerpot Island in Fathom Five National Marine Park to see its tall rock pillars.

Day 7: Drive about 1.75 hours south to Owen Sound and walk to Inglis Falls, where the Sydenham River drops over the Niagara Escarpment. Continue about an hour east along Georgian Bay to Collingwood and the Blue Mountain area, and stay at a campground nearby. The long, shallow beach at Wasaga Beach is about 30 minutes further on.

Day 8: Drive about two hours to Gravenhurst, the gateway to Muskoka's lakes and cottages, and book two nights at a campground in the area. Take a cruise on Lake Muskoka aboard the historic steamship RMS Segwun, checking the sailing schedule first, and visit the Muskoka Discovery Centre beside the wharf.

Day 9: Head about 45 minutes north to Huntsville and Arrowhead Provincial Park, where a short trail leads to Stubbs Falls. Walk up to the Lions Lookout over the town, then drive Highway 35 to the Dorset Lookout Tower for views over lakes and forest, a highlight in autumn colour.

Day 10: Drive about 1.25 hours east along Highway 60 into Algonquin Provincial Park and check in at the Mew Lake campground, booked ahead through Ontario Parks. You need a permit to use the park's trails and facilities, so keep your camping permit on the dashboard. Walk the Lookout Trail in the late afternoon for views over the forest and lakes.

Day 11: Visit the Algonquin Visitor Centre for its exhibits and viewing deck, then hire a canoe at Canoe Lake or Lake Opeongo for a paddle. Drive Highway 60 slowly at dawn and dusk, when moose often feed by the roadside, and pull fully off the road to watch them. Black flies bite from mid-May to late June, so pack repellent.

Day 12: Allow about 3.5 hours south through the Haliburton Highlands to Peterborough, in the Kawartha Lakes, and book two nights at a campground nearby. Watch boats rise about 20 metres in the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway, and visit the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Day 13: Drive about 1.25 hours to Petroglyphs Provincial Park, where hundreds of Indigenous rock carvings, a sacred site known as the Teaching Rocks, are protected inside a building. Spend the afternoon paddling or swimming in one of the Kawartha lakes, and empty the tanks at your campground before tomorrow's return.

Day 14: Drive about two hours back to the Cruise Canada depot near Bolton, refuelling on the way and leaving time for the return inspection before the depot closes. The depot is about 34 km from Toronto Pearson Airport, so allow at least 45 minutes by taxi or rideshare if you are flying out the same day.

Day 1: Collect your motorhome from the Cruise Canada depot near Bolton and drive about two hours to Niagara Falls. Book two nights at a campground with a WEGO bus stop or shuttle nearby, as overnight parking is not allowed in Niagara Parks lots. Walk to the brink of the Horseshoe Falls at Table Rock in the evening and see the falls lit up after dark.

Day 2: Ride the WEGO bus to the falls for a Niagara City Cruises boat trip into the spray and the tunnels of Journey Behind the Falls. In the afternoon, drive about 30 minutes along the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-on-the-Lake for its heritage main street and wineries, with a designated driver or on a winery tour.

Day 3: Allow about 3.5 hours east around Toronto to Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton. The 407 ETR toll road can be quicker in heavy traffic but is billed by plate through your hire company, while Highway 401 is toll-free. Walk the marsh boardwalk and the long sandy beach, and stay at the park's campground.

Day 4: Drive about an hour to Prince Edward County and book two nights at Sandbanks Provincial Park. Spend the day on its beaches and sand dunes, swimming in Lake Ontario in summer, and walk the Dunes Trail. Pick up fresh produce and baked goods from the farm stands along the County's back roads.

Day 5: Tour the wineries, cideries and craft breweries around Wellington, Hillier and Picton, with a designated driver. Drive up to Lake on the Mountain, a lake perched high above the bay, then ride the free Glenora ferry across and back for the view. Have dinner in Picton or Bloomfield before a final night at Sandbanks.

Day 6: Drive about 2.5 hours north-west to Peterborough, in the Kawartha Lakes, and stay at a campground nearby. Watch boats rise about 20 metres in the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway, then paddle a canoe on the lake or visit the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Day 7: Drive about two hours back to the depot near Bolton, refuelling and emptying the tanks on the way, and leave time for the return inspection before closing. Allow at least 45 minutes to reach Toronto Pearson Airport, about 34 km away, if you are flying out the same day.